Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-02-01
How to Get a Start in North
Dakota.

Travellers in North Dakota have
seen what a great privilege 1t is, and
one which in the nature of things
cannot last much longer, for man
of limited means TO be able TO secure
Il home, (merely at the cost of living
upon it.) which, in older countries, a
life time of exacting toll would not
secure. Men are known, good and
true, honest and industrious, down in
Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania
and other Central and Eastern States,
who for years have been and are
renters, paying high rents and work
ing from one years end to another
always hoping to make enough TO
purchase home, always hoping to
accomplish that end, but with each
recurring season realizing more fully
that 'hope deferred maketh the heart
sick" II they would but appreciate
the hopclcssness of their position and
have the courage to come to this
great, fertile country, and avail them
selves of the advantages it holds out,
economy and industry would soon
bear fruit in independence and pros
perity. Dakota is, above all things,
country for the benefit of poor men.
A man of small means can here work
up 10 the top round Of the ladder. In
Dakota all begin the race on even
terms, and merit, hot hampered by
the precedents in force in all old conf
munities, will always meet its reward
in solid, substantial prosperity. Da-
kota does not possess every advan~
tage imaginable, but in those two
great factors necessary for human
happiness and prosperity it is pre-
eminent-a healthy, invigorating eli
mate and ability to produce an abun-
dance Of food, both animal and vege-
table.
A beginner, on coming to Dakota
from one of the older States, delight
ed with the ease with which a good
farm can be secured, is apt to make
unnecessary purchases and plunge in
to needless debts. Although circum-
stances are all favorable, well direct
ed effort, economy and industry are
as necessary to succeed here as else
where. But with these, success is
certain. The proper method of pro-
cedure for man of small means TO
take, would be, upon arrival in April
at, say DEVILS Lake, on the St. Paul,
Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway,
and the Government land office, to
secure 100 acres of land by filling"
a Homestead" right upon 1t at total
cost of from $l4 to $40; then team,
costing say 1925, will be bought next
a twelve-inch breaking plow, $l2 zone
wagon. SIS, and "chain" harness. IS;
feed, $25; total, 1915. These are
prices for cash. The next move will
be to proceed to the "claim." The
tough sod will furnish plenty of ma
terial, warmer and better than lum-
Der, and with this a comfortable
house will be built, the only material
costing money being two windows
and castings, and one cheap door and
jamb, in all, So. The roof will be sod,
supported by poles taken from the
timber, which, in the Mouse River
country, is never very far away.
Next comes the barn, built of the
same material, and then the well is
dug, if lake is not near by. The
sod house will be exceedingly COM
fortable-cool in summer, and very
warm in winter Next break up
thirty acres Immediately adjoining
the house. This will take fourteen
days. Then put up fifteen tons of
hay from the natural hay meadow
nearly sure TO be found on some part
Of the farm. A surplus quantity can
always be sold to some lazy farmer.
The moving machine will be hired
from some neighbor and its use can
be paid for in work. BY this time
it will be the 18th Of July and har-
vest will be nigh. The service of one
man and team will be worth Sc per
day, and by hiring out for this sum
until Sept. lst the owner will have
earned 1928. The land broken in
May must now be backset or plough
ed back three inches deeper than II
was broken to get the best returns,
and this will take fourteen days.
Then, with team, pillow for some ad.
joining farmer at $500 per acre, or
20 with threshing machile outfit
at $3.50 per day. Flowing will emf
by Nov. LIST or Sth. and threshing bv
Nov. Goth. In either case about $l57 |
will he earned, which, added to the
1928 earned during harvest, will
make $3.50, and if the owner decides
not to work in the pineries during
the winter, he will have enough to
carry him and his team over the win
ter and buy seed in the spring. The
same plan can be followed next year.
of course, by the necessity
Of taking care of the crop sown on
The thirty acres, until so much of the
owners land is in cultivation that il
will absorb all his energies. A start
should, of course, be made at the
earliest possible moment, TO secure
low and some calves, for the free
ange in summer and cheap hay in
winter make their raising almost all
clear profit, while sod and straw can
both be used to make them the warm
est of shelters.-St. Paul Pioneer